No. 10: Grigor Dimitrov
Over the years, he was close to winning a Grand Slam, but he didn’t do it, and while the Bulgarian will still have a chance, he missed some critical errors at the end and then lost. However, the positive thing is that he has tremendous strokes with his stylistic forehand and backhand. The one-hander can slice it, top it, and flatten it out. His serve and his return have never been great, but at the net, when he is there, he can put it away. He won Brisbane at the start of the year and reached the final at ATP Miami in April. He has to push himself in 2025, but he plays way too much, so the 33-year-old has to be careful. He won’t go deep in the Slams if he gets hurt frequently, which he did three times. But to win another ATP 1000. Well, he has done it once, so sure, why not?
No. 9: Alex de Minaur
The Aussie had a good year, playing terrific at the United Cup to start the year, beating Taylor Fritz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev. He was on fire but lost against Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open in five brutal sets. However, the young player was on a roll, reaching the final at Rotterdam, taking down Dimitrov in the semis before the current No. 1 Jannik Sinner grabbed the final. Regardless, the steady person kept moving, winning Acapulco over Casper Ruud, and he was thrilled. However, after that, he was up and down, losing early, and then, he would explode again, winning the Netherlands. During the fall, he faded, and at the ATP Finals, he only won one set. De Minaur will try to get into the top five, but to do it, he must improve his first serve, return and backhand. If he does, he will have a solid shot to reach the finals at the ATP 1000s and the Slams.
No. 8: Andrey Rublev
It is odd that during the ATP Finals, the Russian did not win a match in three of them, but at least he won a set against Casper Ruud. The now veteran has had a decent season, playing fantastic, and then, Rublev backs off, and then he becomes very upset. He did reach the final in Montreal, upsetting Sinner in the quarters, but then, in the final, the Aussie Alexei Popyrin stunned him. Week after week, he can play very consistently, but other times, he would think about what he should do or maybe something crazy. In April, Rublev won the ATP 1000 in Madrid, knocking off Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz. That was the best week, perhaps ever. He can be super fitting, but he can also fail. In 2025, if he wants to try and win a Slam, he has to be more mature on the court. After all, he has yet to enter the Slams’ semis. Change it.
No. 7: Novak Djokovic
Even though the great, great player did not have a specular year, at least the Serbian won some stellar matches. However, he is aging, and the 37-year-old has an amazing backhand. it is still there, but gradually, the opponent can hammer with his forehand. Look, the former No. 1 has won 24 Grand Slams worldwide, especially with the hardcourts dictating game after game. In the fall, the former No. 1 Djokovic stopped playing as his body was hurt physically. He should be fine in January, but it will be super interesting to see how he will play, perhaps with his new shots. Yes, his forehand is solid and strong, his first and second serve are on the lines, and when he returns, he can knock it back very deep. He did win another Slam in 2024, but at least he won the Paris Olympics, edging Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6 in the final. He had to, as the Spaniard beat Djokovic in three sets at Roland Garros. The other Grand Slam winner, the now-retired Andy Murray, is working with Djokovic, so they know each other well. At the 2025 Australian Open, which he won 10 times, and now, he will try to out-stroke with the young, darn good players. Try to snag it.
No. 6: Casper Ruud
Two years ago, he became No. 2 and was close to winning a Slam at Roland Garros and the US Open, but he couldn’t do it. So now Ruud will have to throw in some different shots. He is fast, running, and can nail it with his forehand and backhand. In the first six months, he played very well, reaching the final in Monte-Carlo, beating Djokovic, winning Barcelona, and then getting into the semis at Roland Garros. But after that, he didn’t go deep for the rest of the year. Ruud is very stable and can hang in there, but he slumped during the fall. If he can re-set and return better, he can try to reach the final at a Slam again. Go for it.